Olu Dara

Bio

Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III, January 12, 1941) is an American jazz cornetist, guitarist, and singer from Natchez, Mississippi. He is known for blending traditional jazz with blues, funk, and African musical elements, often performing under his own name and with his band, the Natchezsippi Dance Band. Dara gained wider recognition in the 1990s with his solo albums "In the World: From Natchez to New York" (1998) and "Neighborhoods" (2001), both released on Atlantic Records. He is also the father of rapper Nas, with whom he collaborated on the track "Bridging the Gap" from Nas's album "Street's Disciple" (2004). Throughout his career, Dara has contributed to recordings by artists such as James "Blood" Ulmer, Cassandra Wilson, and David Murray, and has appeared in films and theater productions, drawing on his multifaceted background in music and performance.